


See through my eyes.

by AFurryBunny



Category: Avatar (2009)
Genre: A Warrior, Avatar Feels, Eywa loves you, F/M, So does Jake, You're a Serious Badass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-28 14:31:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10116851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AFurryBunny/pseuds/AFurryBunny
Summary: You’re an intelligent person. A seriously intelligent person. You’re calculated, observant and quick as a whip. This is how you got into the Avatar program. However, all that came crumbling down around you when the war between man and Na’vi broke out. They weren’t accepting any more ‘dream walkers.’ However, two years later, as any war would wipe out some of the opposing populations, the Na’vi were dying out faster than they could reproduce. So, the inhabitants of Pandora bargained with Earth. Pandora would provide Earth with its most expensive mineral and Earth would continue its Avatar program. You are one of the lucky ones that are chosen to go first. But, all that so called ‘luck’ is washed away as soon as it arrives when you get to the mystical other planet.(It all takes place after the events of the movie)





	1. I can't believe it.

**Author's Note:**

> So, reader inserts haven't been done for this fandom yet, especially not this pairing. At least not on this site anyways. I thought that was just sacrilegious and created one for those who have wanted to be a Na'vi since eight years ago. This one's for you girls.

Unbelievable! Just unbelievable!  
You had spent five years of your life dedicated to the Avatar program only for it all to go to waste. You had nothing to fall back on. No good job offer would ever want someone with a P.H.D in Na’vi culture. If there even was such a thing. They had all laughed in your face when they asked about experience in a science lab. You had spent months looking for jobs in the paper and not one called you back. It was like a painful nip in the butt. A reality check that came all too soon. You should have seen the conflict coming from a mile away yet you chose to hope that it would be resolved. Hundreds of the human soldiers died in the battle for Pandora and many Na’vi lives were taken as well. There was never war without loss whether it was victorious or not. You’d hoped that they would at least allow those who were training to be avatars onto the planet, but no, no one else was allowed back. You thought the idea was just selfish. It wasn’t the science program that destroyed their homes. It just wasn’t fair. Not to you or any of the other trainees on Earth. You all knew the truth of the real world but no one seemed to care about you. It made you loath those who had the opportunity to join those on Pandora before their epic battles. You’d heard about everything that happened on the planet and everyone as well. It just made you loath them that much more. You were stuck working as a patron at Starbucks because of them. Starbucks! You were sick of the constant girly-girls ordering double decaf chai spice lattes. Oh God, and the mindless talk they always brought with them. They were as insufferable as your greedy ass boss. It was because of greed and conflict that you were stuck in that situation in the first place.

You walked to the Dojo from work. You thought that, since you had so much free time on your hands, training in Martial Arts would do you some good. You’d been at it for just over a year and had become quite good at it. Petty thieves had tried to steal from you. Instead they gained a pavement facial. People had stopped attacking you after the fifth attempt. It seemed the more you got attacked the more vicious you became. You would have made a fierce warrior to any Na’vi tribe. None of that would ever come to light, though. You fished for your box of Marlboro and lit up a cigarette. You puffed on it on your way to the dojo. You threw it down a few feet away from the door and stomped on it before entering. You popped a strong mint in your mouth to mask the scent of menthol-laced smoke. You greeted the other students in your rank and changed into your red and black, short sleeved Gi. You made a bee-line for the wooden dummies. The reason for your expertise in Martial Arts was the amount of time you spent training. Your sensei admired how quick you learned the skill and how dedicated you were to the art. You were offered countless times to compete in tournaments but you turned down each offer. You just needed something to centre your restless mind. Once the Karate master clad in black walked into the training grounds all of his students lined up into position. He was a great sensei and an even better person. Every one of his students respected him. That included you. He greeted his students with a bow before pairing you up with another strong Martial Artist. Each pair took a turn on the mats until one subsided. The winner of each fight fought the next until there was just you and one other opponent. Those you had defeated smirked and shook their heads in amusement. They knew the poor son of a bitch stood a very small chance of taking you down.

You flopped down onto the couch as soon as you got home. The place wasn’t much. In fact, the studio apartment was quite small but it was home. The rent was cheap too so there were no complains on your end. Sure, the world was practically dead so no part of the city was a good part but your place wasn’t in the worst part of town. Food was scarce so your cupboards were filled with all types of canned food. You tried to remember the last time you saw an animal roaming aimlessly around. It must have been at least ten years ago. Still, the imitation spaghetti and meatballs wasn’t too bad. It tasted like beef even though the powderiness was undeniable. Then again there were cats and dogs that roamed the streets every now and again. The conditions they were in made you want to take some of them home with you. You weren’t allowed animals in the apartment building. Your land lord was a total douchebag who cared about nothing but money. You flipped on the television and opened a large can of fruit cocktail for dinner. The news was all the same on every channel. People were killing each other for survival. Thieving presidents grew more corrupt by the year. There was war between countries to fight over one or the other’s resources. Pandora would have been an escape from the post-apocalyptic hell hole. A fresh start for a new life on a distant planet. It all had been taken away from you without warning. You wondered if those still on Pandora even thought about those on Earth. More than likely not. Why should they have cared? They lived on the thriving planet with little, if any, struggle. You took your anger out on the fruit.

There was one news headline that grabbed your attention immediately. Across the screen there was a message that seemed as though it was written indirectly for you.  
Mystical planet, Pandora makes truce bargain with former company sponsor. Trainees are being prompted to travel in exchange for the planet’s base mineral. More information to come…  
You dropped the can of fruit cocktail on the carpet at your feet. You couldn’t believe what you’d just read. You stared at the screen in wait for the headline to cross a second time before it sunk in. You squealed so loud from excitement that the people below you knocked against the floor to keep you quiet. You shoved your middle finger to the floor in response. They would never understand your excitement. Then it hit you harder than a ton of bricks. The headline stated they were prompting trainees to travel. Nowhere in there did it say they were looking for ex-trainees. Your face fell as your heart sank into your stomach. You knew how long it took for complete training. Of course they weren’t going to take old recruits due to their age. Your good mood vanished as soon as it arrived. You sighed with a heavy heart and picked up the fallen can. The sugar based brine had spilled all over your carpet and left a sticky puddle for you to clean in dismay. You were sure the odds loved being stacked against you just when things started to look up. You cussed seven different words in both English and the Na’vi language. You were so heartbroken that you decided to turn in early. Sleep seemed to be the one escape from the world. The one place you could run from reality if only for a few hours. You cleaned the mess, flicked off the television and turned in for the night. Deep down inside you wished with all your heart that they asked you to return to the program.

You refused to wake up the next morning. The bitter disappointments replaying in your mind as you lay in bed. Your head turned to the clock on your nightstand. It was past time you were at work but you didn’t care. You sighed in disgruntlement and swung your legs over the edge of the bed. You somehow managed to shower, dress into your appropriate work clothing and eat a canned breakfast. You raked your fingers through damp (your hair colour) hair. You hadn’t bothered styling it. A comb through was enough for you. With another balked sigh you made your way out the door. It was a good thing your head was cast downward or you wouldn’t have seen the brown envelope at your feet. Your brow furrowed as you bent to pick it up. The letter was formally addressed to you.  
_To: (Your first name) (your last name)_  
 _We apologize in advance for the inconvenience of timing. We are aware that you live a different life with a job and newly made friends. We humbly ask that you cooperate with us at this time. You are one of the program’s leading ex-trainees and we request your presence as soon as possible. You will then be transported to Pandora after the necessary tests are completed. Thank you for your diligence and utmost synergism. Your allocated specialists will be waiting for your arrival._  
 _Head of RDA_  
You dropped everything and returned to The Avatar Program. Initially it was initiated to improve communication with the Na’vi, the intelligent humanoid inhabitants of Pandora. Those before you were paired with avatars, which were artificially created human/Na’vi hybrids who then controlled them by persona projection technology. The human controller remained in a sleep-like state within a psionic link unit. His or her personality then inhabited and completely controlled the custom made Na’vi. They said that the link was total; the human believed he or she was actually inhabiting the Na’vi’s body, with all senses, reflexes and bodily functions fully operational. The avatar body was grown within an amnio tank, with the help of growth accelerators, had no personality of its own and was inert when not under human control. The avatar was specifically made using the genetic structure from its human controller and, despite obvious differences in size and physiology, was equivalent to its controller’s twin. The genetic matching was necessary to allow the morphic projection to operate on the alien body. The experiments failed when attempts to use unmatched bodies were made. That was all information you’d learned in the avatar program. You could hardly contain your excitement as they extracted the DNA from the mitochondria in your cells. They then drove you to the ISV Venture Star where you were guided to your own personal module. You were injected with specialized sedatives that would leave your body inanimate for the duration of the trip. Your last thoughts were of how unbelievable it all was. You were finally going to the Promised Land. You had finally gotten that fresh start you’d been pining over for years. You couldn’t wait to see if the rumours were all true… to meet your Na’vi self in a new home.


	2. Touching the stars.

You woke to the sight of multi-coloured lights in a white tube. It was your personal module. You felt like you had just been hit by a speeding bus. Your nausea was intense as you got to your feet with the assistance of the crew member who had woken you. You were left inanimate for roughly five years and ten months. You were five years older and yet you hadn’t aged in the slightest. There was little gravity in the ship which worsened your weak body. You were too excited to care about that. The crew woke the rest of the volunteers before guiding you to the living quarters. You looked out the window and watched as the stars passed by. You touched your fingers to the glass. They were at your fingertips. All you had to do was reach out and touch them. The logical side of your brain knew it was impossible to actually touch a star. You’d burn up before you got within a hundred clicks of the organism. Still, the supernovas that passed your eyes were beautiful. It was nothing compared to the planet-like moon. Pandora was the fifth moon of the gas giant, Polyphemus which orbited, Alpha Centauri A in the, Alpha Centauri star system. It was the closest star system to Earth. It was as breath taking as those back home said it was. You had read all the books about Pandora. You knew virtually everything there was to know about the habitable moon. Your heart pounded against your chest as the carrier jets ejected from the ISV Venture Star and headed for your new home. You were instructed to don the air masks before the doors of the carrier jets opened. You obliged without hesitation. It was because the atmosphere consisted of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide (over 18%), Xenon (5.5%), Methane and Hydrogen Sulphide (1%). The gravity on Pandora was 20% less than that on Earth. It explained why you felt a whole lot lighter as soon as those doors opened. Your stomach summersaulted as soon as your feet touched the tarred ground. Your dreams became a reality as you made your way into the facility. 

There were avatars as well as human scientist that walked around the facility. They would smile as a greeting when they passed you. The Avatars stood at ten feet tall to match the height of the Na’vi. Their presence only made matters worse for you. You had to keep from skipping through the halls. You were taken to where they kept the avatars. Yours was one of three females and four males. Dr. Max Patel welcomed you and your comrades to the facility. Whilst the others followed behind the lead scientist you strayed to search for your avatar. Dr. Patel noticed your wandering spirit and grinned. He walked over to tap you on the shoulder and pointed you in the right direction. You followed his direction to the amnio tank that held your avatar. You thought that she was much more beautiful than you. You wished for her skinny waist-line, long hair and refined muscle tone. There was something odd about it, though. Yours had a pail silver panel in her hair that extended to a streak that intertwined throughout the braid whereas the others were all ace black. You passed it off as a glitch in the creation process. You watched as the avatar twitched and turned like an infant in the womb. An unexpected visitor studied your avatar over your shoulder. He seemed as fascinated by her as you’d been.   
“It looks just like you.” Norm Spellman confirmed in his enthusiastic tone, “That silver panel is a little odd though. You’ll definitely stand out against the rest that’s for sure.”  
You turned to shift your attention to the former trainee. You leapt back in shock as your eyes met a blue, ten-foot tall avatar. His lips curled into an amused smile. He bent down to hold out his large hand to you. His smile widening to a grin.   
“Norm Spellman.” He introduced himself, “I’ve heard amazing things about you. Come to think of it, I actually remember your face. You were one of those a year under me, right?”  
“(Your name) (Your last name).” You replied, taking the offered giant hand, “I was. You spent the least amount of time in the program because of how fast you advanced. I remember admiring you… and… such.” 

Norm showed you where the psionic link units were kept. You couldn’t help it. The inner child emerged as you stuck your finger into the molded gel-like foam. Norm chuckled low as you snickered. He explained that it was to promote blood circulation whilst the avatar driver was in the unit for long periods of time. He motioned you to follow him to where the other volunteers had been herded to. He left you to find your seat as he continued to the front where he addressed you all as a whole. He explained about the different creatures that lurked in the Pandoran forests. There was the Thanator that you were instructed to keep well away from. Even the Na’vi who were known for their extreme bravery were terrified of the creature. The next was the Great Leonopteryx. It might have been one of, Chief Jake Sully’s mounts but it was still the fiercest animal in Pandora’s skies. The Na’vi called it, Toruk (last shadow) for a reason. He then explained what would happen in the next few weeks. You were going to be trained in reflexes, responses and agility within the facility. Once deemed ready you would be chosen by to join one of the Na’vi Clans. They would take you into their care and teach you their ways. There were several different tribes located in different sections of the world. There were six clans discovered in total. There was the Omaticaya Clan, the Tipani Clan, the Anurai Clan, the Ikran People of the Eastern Sea, the Tawkami Clan and the Horse Clans of the Plain. It would be the chief of each one that would select one of you to join their clans. The idea made you nervous. You had only read about the tribes in books written about Pandora. You had no idea what they were truly like in person. When, Norm was done you and the other volunteers were dismissed for dinner. You would start your avatar training in the morning. It was funny how it all still seemed very surreal. 

The next morning you woke with all sorts of knots in your stomach. Even though it was advised that you did so you couldn’t eat anything that morning. You were afraid you might not keep anything down. There was excited chatter all about you from the other volunteers. There was a debate that broke out about which clan was better. You weren’t worried about that yet. You would when the time came for the need. You left the cafeteria earlier than everyone else and went for a walk on your own. You needed the time to yourself to think about everything. You weren’t sure why. You made your way to the empty room where the psionic link units were kept. You ran your fingertips over the cold metal of the units. Soon you would lie inside one of them and get transported to a new body. It made you wonder what it was like in person. At the program they put you in case scenarios where all options were possible. It worried you that your link might be a little glitchy and the transfer failed. It was impossible since the avatar was merged with your DNA. Still, it was a rational human fear. You sighed deeply as your eyes were cast downward.   
“What has the world on your shoulders?” Norm asked from behind, making you flinch from the sudden sound of his voice, “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. You just sighed like you had a lot on your mind. Nervous about your first drive, huh?”  
“Were you ever worried that your avatar might reject you?” You replied with a furrowed brow, “Like, a fluke accident or something. I know the chances are slim but what if I’m part of those odds?”  
“I was pretty confident about my first link but I suppose your concerns aren’t unreasonable.” He assured you, “From what I’ve heard you have a strong mind. I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. If it’s any help I’ll wait for you on the outside to assist with anything you need. Now, I should go because your friends are here.”   
Your gaze shifted to where, Norm gestured to. The scientists as well as, Dr. Patel filled the room with volunteers in tow. You knew it was crunch time when they assigned you your psionic link unit on the far end of the room. Yours was the last. You followed your assigned scientist to your unit. She was quite friendly when she helped you into your psionic link unit. The gel-like foam was as comfortable as it looked. She closed the lid on you after instructing you to let your mind go blank. All you could hear was the hum of the machine around you. You closed your eyes and allowed yourself to fall asleep to the mechanic sound.   
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
You woke to a blurred light flashed into your eyes. You heard the faint sound of voices beside you. One of them snapped their fingers in your ears. They stated that your response was normal. When your sight cleared and your head ceased spinning the medical assistants addressed you with smiles on their faces.   
“(Your name), how are you feeling?” The male asked, “Do you feel any numbness or pain at all?”   
You shook your head in response. They stated that you could sit upright when you were ready. You did as you were told and swung your legs to the side of the gurney. The humans looked a lot smaller than you as an avatar. You thought it amusing. The female wrote down notes on a clipboard whilst the male stepped in front of you.   
“Could you wriggle your toes and touch your fingers to your thumbs for me. Ah you remember that one.” He said with enthusiasm, “I can tell you’re excited. Your tail is swishing all over the place.”   
His remark made you turn your head and watch your tail curl up and sway from side to side in jerked motions. It was as if the thing had a mind of its own. You snickered at the animate appendage before doing as he showed you. Your avatar seemed to have responded normally. They tossed a ball at you to test your motor skills. They handed you a tall glass of water that you were instructed to swallow down as fast as you could. The female scribbled down notes when it made you belch. You passed the tests for reflexes and bodily functions. You were ready for the outside world. 

You were given clothes to wear. Since the air on Pandora was hot and humid you were handed a branded tank top, a pair of short shorts and some sneakers made to scale for your large body. They allowed you privacy to change before letting you out. You watched as the other avatars trained their bodies on the grounds. There were complicated looking obstacles on either side of the open field. On the far end there was a garden that consisted of indigenous flora. There was an occupied basketball court that kept a male and female avatar compete against each other as soon as you stepped out. They ceased their game to look at you. You smiled at them both. You noticed that their eyes were on your hair. They must have been intrigued by the silver panel in your hair and braid. The female even took hold of her own braid to see if she had one. When she saw she was absent of silver in her hair her eyes returned to you with her brow furrowed. You waved them off with a nervous smile as you continued on your exploration but you could still feel their eyes on you. Maybe there was something you could do about the silver later. Your eyes scanned the area farther and you watched as two of the volunteers raced each other on one of the obstacle courses. You followed the route to the garden of indigenous vegetation.   
“Try this. It’s a favourite among avatars and Na’vi alike.” Norm said, plucking a purple fruit from an overgrown bush and offering it to you.   
That was the third time he had snuck up on you in two days. You took the fruit from him and sank your teeth into the soft flesh. The juices of the delicious fruit dripped down your chin. The flavour tasted like a mix of figs and persimmon. It seemed to linger long after the fruit was eaten. Norm was amused by how you plucked another three before wolfing each one down. You hadn’t had breakfast so you were hungry. Your avatar seemed just as starving.


	3. It might be fate.

Your official avatar training consisted of three things; endurance, speed and agility. Endurance and agility were in your favour. Speed, however was not. Even though your speed was enhanced by the Na’vi blood in the avatar’s veins you still lagged behind everyone else. You even woke before the others to run the obstacle courses. When you were joined by the others you’d already run each one at least twice. You mapped your time after every completion. The times seemed to increase not decrease after each attempt. You sighed in contempt at your inability to move faster. You shuffled back to the start of the course on the left of the training field. You readied yourself for take-off when a hand rested on your shoulder to stop you.   
“Straining yourself isn’t going to get you anywhere.” Norm murmured in sympathy, “It’ll only hurt you and the avatar. Take a break for the rest of the morning. I think you’ve earned it… and please don’t eat all the fruit off the trees.” He teased.   
“Why? So you can finish them off yourself?” You retorted with a smirk, “I don’t understand why it’s so slow. Even, Helena is faster than me and she spends most of her time in the cafeteria! I just can’t get it right no matter how many times I try to.”   
“Helena doesn’t throw male avatars almost twice her size and weight over her shoulder in combat skills.” He quipped, “She also can’t go an entire morning running difficult obstacle courses without breaking that much of a sweat. Don’t sell yourself short, (your name). I can name three chiefs who would start a civil war over you.”   
You snickered at the over exaggeration. That snicker turned to a loud laugh at the wide-eyed look on his face. He grinned and ushered you off. You weren’t allowed to train for another two hours. You took that time to explore the miniature forest within the allocated perimeter. 

Your ears flicked in every direction at the sounds inside the forest. Your fingertips found the leaves of bushes as you strolled among the giant trees. It was a tranquil experience. You stopped in your tracks and closed your eyes. You breathed in the scents that surrounded you. There was one in particular that caught your attention. It stood out distinctly against all other smells. You followed your nose to its location. What you found chilled you to the bone. The scent had brought you to the edge of the perimeter. On the other side of the nine milometer fence was a Thanator. It had one of its six limbs stuck inside a deep hole. The creature pawed at the hole in fury. It pulled at its limb which had been bent at an odd angle. It howled from the pain. The more it struggled the more entrapped it became. The Thanator had dislocated its middle limb on the right. You looked over your shoulder to see if anyone had followed you. When you saw you were in the clear you began to climb the fence that kept you safe. You knew it was an insane idea that would get the avatar killed. Even the Na’vi were scared of what that creature could do. Yet you couldn’t just leave it there to suffer. The Thanator had noticed you and it ceased its struggling. What were frightened and furious cries turned to low growls in warning. All four eyes were on you. The look in them were not at all friendly. The Thanator pounced at you, its strong jaw snapping at your petrified face. The lunge had hurt the creature because it screamed in pain. It was time to stand your ground and help.   
“Hey!” You yelled at it, “I’m here to help you, stupid animal! But if I’m going to do that I’m going to need you to cooperate. Trying to eat me isn’t getting you anywhere. So, don’t eat me.” You scolded ferocious creature.

You searched your surroundings to find something that would help the Thanator. There was one of two ways you could free its dislocated limb. One was to dig it out but that would take too long or the Thanator would have torn you apart by then. The other was to find a suitable branch, lodge it into the hole with the creature’s limb until it reached the bottom and push all of your weight onto the other end of the branch whilst the Thanator pulled at it. You went with the second option. You broke a branch from one of the gigantic trees then set to work. The Pandoran animal huffed in your face as you lodged the branch into its hole. You continued until it touched the bottom of the hole. You positioned the branch so that it was directly beneath the foot then pulled at the other end with all the strength in your body. The creature panicked at the sudden change and began to pull at its limb. Your plan worked as the effort lessened. There was a high risk that the Thanator could’ve broken its leg. That was still better than leaving it to die of starvation and suffer greatly in the process. With one final push the Thanator managed to pull its leg from the hole with a screech. The animal limped a few steps away. Its malicious eyes fell on you a second time. You thought it a good idea to start climbing the fence in retreat. Instead, you approached the animal and examined the dislocated limb. You found the area of dislocation. The Thanator winced and snapped at your chest. You jumped back to avoid getting bitten. The creature sighed heavily. You tried your luck once again. You used both hands to push it back into place. There were yelps in pain as it clicked into place. The Thanator snapped and pounced at you until you were under it. You thought that you were a goner for sure in that position. It stared at you for a while before turning to sprint off in the direction it had come. It still had an evident limp but at least you knew it would heal. Two lives were spared in that moment.

“That was either a very brave or very stupid thing to do.” A rough male voice came from the trees, “I haven’t decided which one yet. What I do know is that you’re crazy for taking on one of those things.”   
“I have a soft spot for animals.” You replied with an exasperated sigh, “Even if they would tear me into ribbons. Should I have just let it suffer like that? If sparing an innocent life is crazy then yeah, I must be batshit bonkers. I mean, it’s a ferocious predator that could have eaten me without batting an eye but it’s still an animal.”   
A blue hand reached out for you to grab. You took the offered hand in gratitude and gasped as it pulled you to your feet. You were left dumbfounded as your eyes met his. His hair was extended by braided rope that fell to the middle of his back, laced in leather and vibrant feathers. It gathered in the middle of his head. On his forehead was a crown weaved together with teeth and leather, a fang of what must have been that of a Thanator in the middle. He wore a magnificent band on his neck made from soft leather, strings of precious stones and feathers that extended to his waist. From there he wore a thick leather cloth that hung to his feet, covering only what was necessary. His chiselled jaw as well as his high cheekbones made you stare a little longer than you should have. He waved his hand in front of your face to gain your attention, dipping his head down with an amused smile. That broad smile made your heart stop.   
“You back on Pandora?” He teased.   
“Did you say something?” You asked with a shake of your head.   
“Where did you go, space cadet?” He said with a laugh, “I said you should probably get back. You won’t be so lucky the second time around.”   
“I can handle myself.” You argued, “Just because my avatar’s practically still a child doesn’t mean I can’t put up a good fight. One of your beaded strings says I can knock your ass to the ground.” 

He had a questioning look on his face. Once he noticed you weren’t kidding he shrugged and put his spear down. You held up your fists in a defensive stance. He rolled his eyes and followed your direction. When you hadn’t moved from your position he threw the first punch. You took your anticipated opportunity and performed Ko uchi gari (a strike to the opponent’s leg or foot from the inside, with linear foot motion and slow motion hip rotation). The unexpected move threw him off his balance. His weight worked against him as he stumbled backward into the mud. There was a muffled ‘shit’ as he hit the ground. You stood over him like the Thanator had done to you in amused victory. Your arms folded over your chest with a triumphant that curled at your lips. He chuckled low and held out his arm for you to help him up. You obliged the arrogant Na’vi. You should have known it was a ploy. As soon as your hand linked with his he pulled you to the ground with him. In one swift motion he rolled on top of you, pinning your hands above your head. He was heavier than he looked because you could hardly move beneath him.   
“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a stalemate.” He said between chuckles.   
He got to his feet, pulling you up with him. You were grateful the blue tone of your skin hid your flushed cheeks. There was no denying that he was a gorgeous male. He fished through the beaded strands that hung from the leather band on his neck. He picked one with the most colourful stones on it and pulled it off. He then handed you the strand of precious stones. You took the strand from him with reluctance.   
“We had a deal.” He said with a warm smile, “You knock me to the ground and I give you my stones. I suppose I’ve underestimated you, kiddo. You should head back though. They’d be worried about you.”   
With that he turned on his heel, picked up his spear and disappeared into the trees. He left you feeling confused in his wake. You wondered who the mysterious Na’vi was. His attire suggested his rank was high within whatever tribe he belonged to. You returned to the training field with his smile etched into your brain.


	4. Fight to the Finish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Eylan' in Na'vi means 'friend' or 'a friend.'

You’d spent a month training for the choosing of the chiefs. There was not a day that went by where you did not think about the Na’vi you’d met. You told no one about your encounter with the Thanator. Not even, Norm whom you had become close friends with. Your combat skills were unmatched. Mostly because of how long you could go without taking a break. However, your speed had only increased a little in that time. It was your one downfall in your perfect score. Still, two out of three wasn’t so bad. Tough luck would have you freak out the day before. You worried mind clouded your judgement. Those who were clever enough took advantage of that. Even, Helena managed to throw you to the ground with little effort. There was a frown on Norm’s face, which crinkled his cat-like nose, as he witnessed your fails. His big eyes couldn’t hide his puzzlement. When thrown onto your back by the last opponent he gestured for you to follow him. You knew the pep talk that was coming.   
“(Your name), are you alright?” He asked, his concern unmasked by his tone, “You don’t seem yourself. I mean, Helena took you down. Helena! The same person who spends most of her time around food. A girl who couldn’t lift a heavy pebble if she wanted to. What’s gotten into you today?”  
“That’s just it,” you confessed with your eyes cast downward in shame, “it’s the day. Tomorrow, I mean. What if I screw up like I’ve screwed up today? For God’s sake, Helena! I love that woman but she couldn’t defend herself against giant leaf that slapped her in the face. Don’t get me wrong she’s pretty crafty in other areas. I feel like a geek in high school gym class all over again. Like I’d be the one picked last.”   
“I don’t think you’d be picked last.” Norm assured you, “I still think you’d have the Na’vi chiefs fighting over you like viper wolves over a juicy bone. Take a walk to clear your mind then find me in the cafeteria later.”

Norm didn’t need to ask twice. A thought occurred to you as you kicked at the soft Pandoran soil. There was another reason for your malfunction. A reason that tugged at your conscience. Something that was said a few days ago that stuck with you. What was said about someone else affected you as if it was directed at you when it was someone else spoken about. There were six chiefs and seven avatars to choose from. That meant that one would stay behind until the next selection. That would take another ten years. You thought that there might be a way to get one of them to pick two instead of one avatar. Your mind was made up as soon as you stepped through the cabin doors where you knew the object of the spiteful conversation sat in hiding. Helena had her nose buried within a book on her bed. Her ears flicked in your direction at the sound of your footsteps against the wood. She lowered the book she was reading to peer at you over the thick pages. You stopped at the foot of her bed with your arms crossed over your chest. That was the first moment you took the time to actually study her features. Her facial features were perfectly refined and sculpted with soft tones to even out the harshness in some areas. She was beautiful in her own way. Being an avatar enhanced that fact. 

“You’re coming with me.” You ordered without question, “Those arrogant pigs are going to throw you to the viper wolves to make themselves look good in front of the Na’vi chiefs. We are the main targets for tomorrow. You because they believe you’re easy to take down and me because they believe that taking me down would prove they can conquer someone with better skill than them. I have a plan to make sure they won’t get what they want without a struggle.”  
“I know what they’re saying about me.” Helena murmured, “The Avatars have sharper hearing. It hurts but I’ve come to terms with it. I like to think I’d be ok without being chosen tomorrow. That sticking around here won’t be so bad.”  
Her ears drooped as she spoke. The sadness in her eyes as well as in her tone tugged at the strings in your heart. You knew what it was like to be bullied by others. It created a large lump in your throat you struggled to swallow. She put her book down beside her and got to her feet. She stood in front of you. You noticed her expression had changed from sadness to anger.   
“But I know that’s complete bullshit.” She said through clenched teeth, “So, what’s the plan?” 

Tomorrow came sooner than you expected. There was excited chatter among the volunteers. There were psionic link units in each of the tribe’s locations. You would be an avatar until you passed the tests the specific Na’vi tribes put you through. Once you passed those tests they would transfer you into the avatar completely via a spiritual Na’vi ritual. You could not deny that the idea was exciting. You had made your ally. One none would expect to take them by surprise. You believed you had chosen well as she sat across from you in the cafeteria. There was a knowing smirk on her face that you mimicked. The others watched as the ‘strongest link’ and the ‘weakest link’ in the chain ate breakfast together. The chatter ceased after she sat down with you. Their eyes were all on the two of you yet you both carried on like nothing was wrong. When the time came to bond with the avatars you nodded to her before climbing into the psionic link unit. She offered you a two-fingered salute in return. You woke to a jar of red paint the Na’vi used to decorate themselves for warrior ceremonies or war beside your bed in the cabin. Everyone had been given one of a different color to define who they were. You padded over to, Helena with your red paint. She opened her jar to reveal white paint. She shared your devious smile. The two of you walked out of the cabin covered in painted red and white patterns. The others were covered in their individual colors. The fact you both had two colors made them stare farther. It was then that they realized you were allies. Some thought it was a joke whilst others knew better. They knew whatever chances they had to make good on their plans were thwarted without mercy. Norm seemed impressed by the sudden alliance. The two of you were the perfect balance. Those who knew Pandora as well as you knew that it was all about balance between the opposites. Good and evil. Right and wrong. Life and Death. Fast and Strong. The chief of the Horse Clans of the Plains rode in on his direhorse, the chief of The Ikran People of the Easter Shore flew in on her sky banshee. The rest arrived on foot or on direhorse. The last arrived on his Great Leonopteryx. The Chief you all knew as, Jake Sully.

Each chief was donned in extravagant Na’vi clothing with colorful feathers and strings of precious stones. It was the last to arrive that caught your attention. Not because he was chief of the Omaticaya Clan. Not because he was, Jake Sully. He caught your attention because he was the one who gave you the string of stones you wore around your wrist for good luck. You fingered the stones as the chiefs studied their options. You were examined like cattle to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Some of them stopped to study you a little longer than the rest. You sucked in a deep breath as, Jake stood in front of you. Goddamnit, there went that smile again! He lifted your arms to examine the muscle. His fingers brushed against the refined muscles on your stomach. You could have sworn he did it on purpose just to make you inhale deeply. His hands found your duel-colored braid. His brow furrowed like he hadn’t noticed the different colours before. When each chief had put his or her hands on you in some way it was time for the candidates to prove themselves to their future chief. The first test was the race against time on the difficult obstacle course. You knew you would disappoint in that area. Helena with two of the male volunteers. You couldn’t hold back the satisfied laughter as she overtook them by a head. Helena might have loved food but she was the fastest runner amongst you all. Next was the last two males to race against each other. Then it was you against the final female. Her name was, Amberley and she was known to play dirty if it made her look good. You dreaded the race before it began. The malicious smile on Amberley’s face wasn’t any help either. Norm swished the flag in front of you to start the race. You pushed yourself to leap over the high hurdles. You surprised yourself as you kept a few inches between her and you. You ducked underneath the metal frames where necessary. Adrenaline coursed through you when you noticed she fell behind. You smiled at the change of luck.

However, that was just not meant to be. When you got to the wall you climbed it with ease on the front. When you swung your leg over to the other side your hand slipped and you lost your balance. You plummeted twenty feet to the ground. You clawed at the wooden wall to stop the fall but you had hit the hard surface too soon. It knocked the air out of you as you landed on your back. Your head spun from the velocity of the height and speed in which you fell. Your weight didn’t help either. Amberley jumped down beside you with a satisfied grin on her face. She continued on like nothing had happened. You rolled onto your stomach before getting to your feet. You growled at the back of her head. She had one of the boys wet the wall at the top so your grip faltered. You’d be damned if you let that self-righteous bitch get away with it. You continued on at an even greater speed. You hopped through the giant tyres. You swung across the rivers of mud with the ropes provided. She had beaten you by a few inches in the final sprint. She turned around to boast. She was surprised when your form towered over her in fury. You supposed she expected you to roll over onto your back in submission. You made sure the anger in your eyes told her otherwise. That she would be the one to roll over onto her back. You whispered in her ear that you were going to rain down on her like the Holy Ghost when it came to the combat test. Your ears flicked forward to the sound of her whimper. They then flattened against your head in seething anger. Helena rushed to your side as soon as you reached the others. She asked if you were alright before glaring at, Amberley in disgust. You soothed your new friend. You kept a hold of her waist so she didn’t attack the Satan spawn before the next test. You prayed to, Eywa that your ally wasn’t paired with, Amberley. There was a high chance she’d kill her. Not just because she sabotaged you but because she’d been picking at, Helena non-stop. 

The combat test worked the same way on Pandora as it did at the dojo on Earth. The winner of each pairing fought their next opponent until there was two left. It made your heart swell in pride as you watched, Helena win two of her fights. It was you against her at one stage. That made you all the more proud. The night before you spent hours teaching her the basic moves of Karate. She was a quicker learner than you thought. She was worthy of a yellow belt by the time you were done with her. What amused you was the surprise of her opponents as she took them down. You thought that, Amberley was lucky she lost her first fight or she would have had to face either of you. It seemed even she was grateful for the miss. Like she had lost purposefully so you didn’t get the chance to fight her. A good thing for that too. Your last opponent was not going to let you win without difficulty. It was the two of you against each other for a long time. You had never fought someone as hard. He definitely gave you a run for your money. An idea came to you at the end of your one-on-one battle. A message to, Jake of sorts. The last time your opponent came toward you, you grabbed his arms and used the Ko uchi gari move on him. He fell onto his back with a loud thud. You were the final victorious avatar. However, you weren’t a savage and helped the man to his feet. He was the only decent male among them all. After that it was time for the chiefs to make their decision. You watched as the six chiefs made their choices. The decent male went to the horse tribe, Amberley went to the Tipani Clan and the last three men went to the Anurai Clan, the Ikran People of the Eastern Sea and the Tawkami Clan. It was you and, Helena left to be chosen. Jake stood in front of you with a grin. He motioned for you to follow him to the Leonopteryx. You sighed as your eyes met the disappointed look on, Helena’s face. Your heart sank into your stomach. Even though you had worked hard with her the night before was still left behind. You gave her an apologetic look of sympathy as you obeyed him. He stopped in his tracks, making you walk into him. He turned to face her with a frown.   
“Is your eylan afraid of, Toruk?” He asked with an amused smile, “I can have one of the other warriors fetch her on horseback if need be.”


	5. I told you so.

You woke for the first time in the heart of Pandora. The Omaticaya Clan had built their home within another Home Tree. According to, Jake it was much bigger than the last one. You thought that it was beautiful. Simple yet elegant. It amazed you what they could do with what little they had. You dreamed of the flight on the Leonopteryx. You could still feel the wind in your hair. The vertigo of the creature’s alternating altitude. One thing you could not get out of your mind was how tightly you held the rider’s waist. You trusted him to know what he was doing but you could not help the frightened reflexes. He thought it was the most amusing thing. Helena had arrived a few hours after you on another warrior’s sky banshee. She wrapped her arms around your shoulders in gratitude. By then the natives had grown accustomed to your presence. They were intrigued once again by, Helena’s arrival. Na’vi children sprinted to your feet with huge smiles on their faces. You could not walk without one of them in the way. You couldn’t blame them. They were excited about the aliens from their chief’s home world. You were given your respective clothing for your rank. Those were nothing but a string of beads closely woven together to hide the breasts of the avatar and a thick loin cloth. You had never felt more exposed in front of a crowd. Helena wasn’t too pleased about the choice of clothing either. Still, none of you could complain. Helena’s leafy hammock was located beside yours in the tree. She hadn’t linked in with her avatar yet so it seemed she was still asleep. You climbed up to the branch that held your hammocks in place. It looked like very little of the tribe had woken up. You were an early sky banshee. 

“You are awake early.” A female’s thick accent sounded from behind you.  
You turned around to face the source of the voice. What you found was an elderly Na’vi with an extravagant string of precious stones and fluffy, multi-coloured feathers. Her loin cloth reached her feet. She had bands of beads on her arms. Her hair was decorated in feathers as well. She must have been the clan’s Tsahik. She walked over to you with a small smile on her face. She took your duel-coloured braid in her hand. Her brow creased at the odd silver panel. She walked in a circle around you, studying your anatomy. If anything she seemed intrigued by you.   
“What are you called, eveng?” She asked, her tone light and somewhat quizzical.   
“(Your name) (your last name).” You replied, a little intimidated by her presence.   
“Come with me, (your name). I have something to show you.” She instructed.   
You followed without question. There was no way you were going to disobey the clan’s Tsahik. Especially not one of her rank. She took you to what looked like ancient ruins. Giant dome-shaped columns wrapped in vines. In the midst of it all was a Tree of Souls. It looked like a weeping willow from Earth. Instead of hanging branches filled with leaves it was just hanging thick luminous threads. Your ears flicked in different directions at the sound of vibrant whispering. You thought you were going crazy. Your tail swished in anxiety. The Tsahik grabbed a hold of the wild appendage with a scowl.   
“Watch your tail, child!” She scolded, “Don’t be afraid in the presence of, Eywa. No harm will come to you here. It is said that, Eywa has pale hair. A symbol of her pure spirit. Some believe that it is why her tree is also white. I believe she has chosen you for her next Tsahik. You have the pale hair of, Eywa.” 

She told you to connect the end of your braid to the roots of the tree. You frowned at the old crone but did as you were told. The thin worm-like neural tendrils emerged from the neural queue. She nodded her head to assure you that it would be alright. You connected the neural tendrils to the roots of the Tree of Souls. You were overwhelmed by an emotion of acceptance. A wave of calm crashed over you. All feelings of fear or anxiousness dispersed from your body like steam. She told you to close your eyes and just feel the connections around you. Everything on Pandora was connected one way or another. The Tsahik told you it was your duty to connect with them as well. The only way to start your Tsahik training was to learn, nay, to understand the beings around you. Whether they be plant or animal. All life mattered to a Tsahik. Your ears were drooped against your head. Not out of negative emotion but of relaxation. It was a lot like setting in your chi before going to the dojo. Meditation on a much higher scale. She sat beside you with her own queue connected to the roots of the tree. She had no need for it. A Na’vi clan’s Tsahik had a practised connection to Eywa without the help of the tree. You could have sworn you heard the elder Na’vi’s voice among the whispers. You opened your eyes to the beautiful sight of your avatar’s bioluminescent markings. They brightened when connected on a spiritual level. She grunted a warning for you to pay attention. You closed your eyes again, focusing your attention on the connection. You both began to rock back and forth from the amount of energy that coursed through your body. If you knew what the Na’vi deity had in store for you… you would have returned home. 

You both returned to the rest of the clan with a worried, Jake searching all over for you. It was, Helena who told him where you were. He swung down the tree with a sigh of relief. He scolded, Mo’at in their native language for taking one of the recruits without his permission. You chuckled as she gave it to him right back. She said something about being older and more experienced than him. The two of them fought over who was going to take control of your training. The people gathered around to watch the heated argument between their chief and their Tsahik. Helena stood beside you with an amused grin on her face. She leaned in to whisper into your ear. You leaned in closer to her with a mirrored grin on your face.   
“Day one and they’re already fighting over you.” She whispered with a snicker.   
“It seems, Mo’at believes I’m a chosen one of, Eywa because of the mishap with my avatar’s hair.” You whispered back.   
“Really?” She responded with in air of surprise, “Why’s that?”   
“Eywa has pale hair so she thinks I’m a child of their deity.” You explained, “She wants me to train under her as the next Tsahik.”   
“I doubt, Jake would let her steal you away though.”   
“Why do you say that?”  
“I’ll explain it to you when you’re older.” She replied with a chuckle.  
You didn’t understand what she was talking about. You shook your head with a confused smile, unsure of what to do about the arguing Na’vi. You walked over to them both and placed a hand on their shoulders. It was out of place for one of your rank to come between them. The others stared in shock as their heated conversation came to a quick close. Mo’at then gave, Jake an I-told-you-so smirk. The others of the clan stared in disbelief as you sheepishly removed your hands.

Mo’at wanted to take you away to teach you how to make healing salves from the plants around Hometree. Jake wanted to teach you how to connect with the direhorses before teaching you the techniques of hunting. Helena asked the chief if she could join those who gathered for the clan instead of hunted with them. She explained how she was not a very good hunter or a good fighter. That it was you who taught her how to fight before the choosing. He nodded in agreement and summoned the one in charge to take, Helena under her wing. Jake looked to you with a sadness in his eyes. Like something, or someone, had disappointed him. He gestured for you to follow him and led you to the pasture where they kept their horses. They were huge to say the least. They looked only vaguely like horses with two, long antennae that emerged from either side on top of their skull. Like most of the other animals on Pandora there are lines of operculi down their necks to increase the amount of air they can intake with each breath. They had a sail-like mane that played a part in signalling their herds. The direhorses before you fed on the sap of the flowers around them with their giraffe-like tongues that protruded from their long snouts. There was an amused huff from behind you and, Jake leaned over your shoulder.   
“Pick one.” He ordered with a smile.  
Your eyes scanned every one of the horses. You knew one told the difference of gender by the markings on the direhorse. You searched the heard for one you thought you would get along with. Then, a dark male walked through the heard with his head held high. You knew then that he was more than likely the alpha male. A devious smirk curled at your lips as you pointed to the dark male sipping on sap.   
“That one.” You said with a vast amount of confidence. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. That one is a pest.” Jake warned, “He’s not part of the herd. He’s a wild stallion that thinks he owns the place. We’ve tried to catch him, or at least kill the damn thing, but he’s too fast for any of the other horses. Rather choose a different horse that won’t try to kill you.”   
“Well, maybe you’re going about it the wrong way.” You insisted, already making your way to the wild stallion, “Maybe you just need to treat him with a little respect.”  
You stood before the untamed male direhorse. You had attracted his attention upon approach. The direhorse’s antennae flicked in your direction. It was what they did to communicate with their herd. Either to warn the others of danger or food sources. He huffed when he saw you lift your own neural queue. He stomped his front hooves in warning. He backed away as your hand reached the height of his antennae. Jake called for you to stop and move away from the dangerous animal.   
“You think I’m afraid of you?” You jeered at the stubborn animal, “I’ve handled a Thanator and got away with it, bitch!”  
You grabbed one of the antennae, making the direhorse rear up on his hind legs. You squealed as he took off in the next direction. He had whipped you off your feet. You held on tight to the antenna as he galloped through the forest at high speed. You grunted as Pandora hit you with every large rock or bush she had. You lifted your neural queue a second time with great effort. You held it so that the worm-like tendrils of your neural queue bonded with the tendrils of the animal’s antenna. There was an ear-piercing screech as the animal bonded with you on a higher level. You flopped down onto the ground with your limbs spread out. That was one hell of a struggle. You pulled yourself up with the antenna that you were attached to. By then the stallion had calmed down. He nudged at you with his snout as though to ask if you were alright. You pat the animal before climbing onto his back. The echoing sound of pounding hooves surrounded you both. It put the direhorse on edge again. There were arrows pointed at you in every direction. Until they saw you were on the animal’s back, your neural queue attached to his. Jake rode in with a look of fury on his face. That look of seething anger dissolved as he saw what had his warriors in a stupor. They whispered a repeat of ‘tsaheylu’ amongst themselves. His expression then fell into one of complete bewilderment. You, too, gave him a look that said I-told-you-so.


	6. Reminiscence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I've put a lot of effort in this for y'all that are actually enjoying it. The kudos and comments are much appreciated. If they didn't exist this would have been scrapped.  
> What I've done is added the Na'vi language in here to make it feel a little more authentic for you. Don't worry I've put the translations in there as well.

Jake’s POV  
The people started to call, (your name) _Eywa`eveng_. That meant, ‘child from Eywa.’ Word that she had tamed the untameable stallion traveled fast among the Omaticaya people. Even, Neytiri was fascinated by her. If they knew what he had witnessed a few weeks ago it would have been much worse. What she did for that thanator was remarkable even to him. The very same Thanator that had attacked and killed four of his hunters whilst stalking wounded talioang. A buffalo-like creature with prehistoric features. He tracked the Thanator down with the intent to kill it. That was when he witnessed its savior. It had caught one of its limbs within a deep hole. He thought of ending the creature’s misery by shooting an arrow through its head. He’d had his arrow at the ready… Until he caught a whiff of her scent on the wind. He watched in both horror and intrigue as she attempted to save the vicious animal. She knew that there was a chance that it would kill her yet she still rescued it. It was obvious that she was sent from earth. It wasn’t just the fact that she had climbed out of the confines of the Avatar Program’s safety on Pandora. He drew his bow when the thanator lunged at the merciful woman. Even he was surprised when the creature turned on its heel and ran in the other direction. She spared its life so it spared hers in return. He was left in awe by the brave spirit that faced the thanator head-on. He climbed down from his place of hiding to speak to her. He hadn’t expected to be thrown onto his back by one smaller than him. She was not only a merciful soul but she was a warrior as well. He knew in that moment that he had to have her in his tribe. He would fight the other chiefs for her if it came down to that.

His affection for her only grew as she stood before him with the other avatars. They were given specific colors of paint to distinguish which avatar was skilled in which area. She had been covered in both white and red. He was unsure of which color she was given because she shared two colours with another female avatar. If the other chiefs didn’t get the message he sure as hell did. It could not have been said any louder. If the chief wanted her then they would have to take her friend as well. He could not take his eyes off of her even when the other avatars raced against each other. The courses were built to mimic the terrain on Pandora. The female chief of The Ikran People of the Eastern Shore gave him a knowing smile. She chuckled low and nudged him with her shoulder. Over the years he had become friends with the chiefs of other Pandoran clans. The woman chief of The Ikran People of the Eastern Shore was his closest friend. She knew him like the back of her hand. He nudged her back out of sheer disobedience. What caught his attention was that it was her turn to run the course. She was doing well until he only saw the one female continue after the large wooden wall. He began to worry and started to head towards where he had last seen her but the female chief grabbed his arm.  
“ _Kehe_. (No.)” She whispered into his ear, “ _Hìpey_. (Hold back for a short time.)”  
As much as he hated it he did what she said. He thought that it would look odd for him to rush to her aid and none of the others. So he stood in wait like the rest. He sighed a deep breath of relief when she got to her feet. She was hardier than she looked. Jake did a little mental dance for her as the other female just beat her by a few inches. Then the time came to witness their skills in hand-to-hand combat.

She didn’t disappoint in that area either. She was all he’d been hoping for from the time he’d made the semi-truce with the RDA Company. Those like her were the reason they allowed people from earth back on Pandora. He felt unusual around her. Like an agitation or frustration and a warm, sweet feeling both at once. He couldn’t understand the emotion. He had never felt that way for anyone else before. The one way he could figure it out was if he spent more time around her. Then it was possible the two conflicting feelings would conclude to what it was in its entirety. He was drawn into all of her one-on-one fights. It was the last that had her stumped. All the other opponents were nothing like her last. It was an intense fight that put him on edge every time someone managed to hit their target. The other chiefs had their eye on the male that seemed to possess the upper hand. Jake silently willed her to win the fight. If not for her then for him. As though she’d heard his thoughts, she took her opponent down with the same swift movement she had used on him. He chuckled low at the stunned male on the ground. He was grateful for her sportsmanship. The chiefs then gathered away from the available avatars to make their choices. Even though he was the youngest chief among them, since it was his idea to bring the avatars back to Pandora, he was given the first choice. The others agreed with his choice in great reluctance. There were two others that wanted the girl. One of them said she would make for an excellent breeding mate. That her sons would make even greater warriors. Jake thought she was worth so much more than just breeding. When their decisions were made the chiefs took the avatars to their new homes. He couldn’t help but feel like a giddy child when he returned home with his new recruits.

He hadn’t anticipated on, Mo’at wanting to steal her away for the more spiritual arts. The old crone thought that, because of the prominent silver in her hair, she was a chosen child of, Eywa. Although, he could believe it by the way the thanator turned away from her once it was freed from its painful trap. He was once a chosen one of, Eywa as well. When the war between the military from the RDA and almost the whole of Pandora broke out. He remembered leading them to victory. He trained many valiant warriors after that. He was made chief of the Omaticaya clan for obvious reasons. By right it would have been, Tsu’tey if he hadn’t asked, Jake to end him. His plan was to transform the girl into as mighty a warrior as he was. He knew she would be a good leader for the people. Then, Mo’at had to go and change the people’s idea of her without giving him a chance to even start warrior training. He took, (your name) to the pastures where she would learn to create tsaheylu with the mounts they used for hunting. He thought she would choose one of the direhorses that had been tamed already. She chose the most dangerous horse that hadn’t even been bonded with yet. He tried to stop her and sway her to choose one of the other mounts but she was as stubborn and insistent as, Neytiri. He watched in horror as she was dragged into the surrounding forest by the damn direhorse. He warned her not to go near that horse. He warned her! She could have very well killed herself not listening to him. He gathered a band of his hunters to search for her. He hoped he wouldn’t find a damaged avatar body. He made a note to scold the shit out of her when they got back. His hunters had found her. They were all gathered around, whispering to one another. He prayed to, Eywa that nothing happened to her. His prayers were answered when he found her mounted atop the wild stallion’s back. The look she gave him sent a strange shiver down his spine. He hate to admit that it was possible, Mo’at was right about her after all. She could calm the wildest, vicious creatures on Pandora. Maybe she really was a child from, Eywa.

“Jake.” Neytiri crooned, “ _Tìtxen si, tìtxen lu aylaru_. (Wake up, the others are awake.) It is not like the chief to wake this late. Or are you still disappointed that, Mo’at was right about your new friend?”  
His mate could see right through him. He had gone to sleep later than everyone else. Not because he was being stubborn but because he had a lot to think about. He understood what the emotions he felt for the girl were. He remembered because he had once felt them for, Neytiri when it was him that learned the way of the Omaticaya people. The agitation was because he knew he couldn’t afford to feel those sweet, warm feelings. He already had a mate and he could not be happier. She was his whole world. He saw her and she saw him. They were perfect for each other. However, (your name) ignited something inside him that the other Na’vi female hadn’t even touched. It made him feel disgusted in himself that he would even think such things about another female. He didn’t want to feel those things for, (your name). To betray, Neytiri in such a way was the last thing he wanted to do. The only thing he could do to reel in what he felt was to send, (your name) back to the Avatar Program. He knew that would be cruel not just to her but to the people who instantly adored her as well. It wasn’t her fault he felt what he did. He couldn’t place the blame on her for the emotions he felt. He sighed and got out of his hammock. Neytiri stood in wait for him with a furrowed brow.  
“Is there something wrong?” She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Should I get my mother to-”  
“Neytiri,” he interrupted with a forced smile, “ _ke...kaw’it_. (not… at all.) I’m fine. _Ngari txe’lan mawey livu_. (Don’t worry, may your heart be calm.) Now, I should probably see to the Na’vi training. The new girl isn’t going to teach herself our ways.”  
With that he brushed a kiss against her lips and sought out, (your name). He knew he would just have to shove the feelings he realized he had for her aside. Besides, he’d only met her a few times. There was so little he knew about her. He was going to have to change that if he was going to keep her as a part of his clan.


	7. In the heart of the Hunter.

Jake must have made a note to wake up before, Mo’at the next morning because she had beat him to you a second time. It had been four days and only one of them were spent becoming a hunter. First he tapped on the window of your little, ‘shack’ to wake you and urged you to link up with your avatar. Helena was still asleep beside you. Then he sprinted to shake the binds of your hammock. He damn near caused your to fall out of it and plummet who knows how many feet. You scowled at the amused Olo’eyktan who chuckled at your response. He helped you out of it at least so that you wouldn’t fall from the swinging leafy bed. You wondered where, Mo’at was. If she would approve of him stealing you away so early without your morning Tsahik rituals. Then again, he was the boss of all bosses. He didn’t need to answer to the elderly Tsahik. He led you to where they practiced their archery. You looked on in dread, knowing full well that you were terrible at archery. He saw the look of self-doubt on your face. He picked up a wooden bow and handed it over to you. You would have hit him upside the head with it if you could. He fetched some arrows from only, Eywa knew where. He had two other Na’vi, who had woken early to practice their shots, set up a target for you. You thought that if you shot him in the foot by, ‘accident’ then it counted as his fault. The idea brought a satisfied smile to your face.  
“What are you thinking about?” He asked, handing you one of the arrows he plucked, “What has you smiling to yourself like that?”  
“Shooting you in the foot with this.” You quipped without missing a beat.  
“Harming your Olo’eyktan on purpose is a highly reprimanded crime.” He warned with a small smirk, “Maybe even banishment or… death.”  
“Stupid, but worth it.” You retorted.  
“Come.” He said with a laugh, “As a hunter you must know how to shoot an arrow.”

You’d spent almost half an hour just learning how to hold the bow properly. After that there were times where you almost shot the other two hunters. By accident of course. Your arrows managed to hit a tree branch, a tree root, a couple leaves, a tree trunk (this happened several times), a leg of one of the other hunters (you weren’t quite sure which one) and one whizzed over the head of the other hunter. You knew you were a terrible shot but that was just ridiculous. You had a feeling that, Jake knew there would be a lot of work to do in that department. He warned others who came to practise their shots that, for their own safety, they should rather wait until he was done with you. Jake was stubborn so he wouldn’t give up until at least one of your arrows hit the actual target. He instructed you to draw the last arrow. You were told to suck in a deep breath of air as you drew the arrow. He wrapped an arm around your waist and directed your body into the correct position. He hit your elbow to indicate that it had to be in line with your cheek. You could still feel the heat that emit from his body after he stepped aside. You froze in the position he’d sculpted you in. Your fingers let go of the arrow as soon as he gave the order. That was the first to hit the given target. It wasn’t a bullseye but it counted nonetheless. The other hunters cheered your success. Although, you thought they were probably just glad none of them took the arrow instead of the target. Jake patted you on the shoulder in praise. You felt a giddying sense of pride in yourself. One that was short lived when he told you that the day was not over. That your Na’vi training had only just begun. Your avatar’s body was not yet in tune with the surrounding terrain on Pandora. It was time to become in sync with your new world.

He flew you on the back of his Ikran. You both traveled quite the distance before he made it land. The objective was to run back to Hometree. You looked at the Olo’eyktan like he’d sniffed the fumes of a plant he really shouldn’t have. You realized he was serious when he disappeared into the thick forest. You grunted in frustration at the enthusiastic chief. There were ways you could kill him and get away with it. Like making his death look like a thanator had gotten a hold of him or a hammerhead crushed him for leading you into its territory. You wondered if you would miss him if you managed to get that right. Yeah, you more than likely would. You ran after the Olo’eyktan with reluctance. The unrecognizable sounds of the forest speeding up your pace. When you had caught up with, Jake your legs were tired. Your lungs, however big they were, felt like someone squeezed them in their hands and would not allow them to fill with air. The cramps in your side felt like each individual finger digging into your ribs. Yet he would not let you rest your protesting muscles. He continued on to Hometree with a struggling female avatar behind him. Due to the uneven terrain on Pandora you were forced to leap over large gaps. That required the use of vines to swing across. It made use of all the muscles in your body. You almost fell backwards down into a steep ditch if, Jake hadn’t grabbed your hand. You dreaded the life on Pandora before it fully began. When you reached your destination your body flopped into the soft soil face first. Your muscles ached something terrible, the pain in your chest was unbearable and your energy had been wiped clean of all existence. All you wanted to do was sleep. Or swim. Whichever.

“What has he done to you, child?” Mo’at asked, standing over you with a scowl, “Not even he was put through as much as he has put you through. Not all in one day!”  
She helped you to your feet. You winced as your pain increased when the muscles pulled. Your legs felt like jelly while you walked. You thought they would break if you stepped wrong. The other hunters laughed at your inexperience. The look they got from the Tsahik ceased their laughter very quick. She helped you to where she performed healing rituals. There even, Neytiri looked at you in concern. You were torn up from the sharp roots or branches that sliced at your tough avatar skin. You were bruised from the amount of times you tripped or slipped on the ground. The expression didn’t lie. The bigger you are the harder you really do fall. The Avatar Program should have put it in the brochure. The two female Na’vi helped you sit.  
“I swear he is trying to kill you.” Neytiri said with a roll of her eyes, “I taught him to learn fast or die. He must be teaching you the same. Do not say I told you. You did better than him. From what you did with him. He must feel you are… _kxapnga’_. That is why he works you harder than the other hunters.”  
“Why would he feel I’m threatening?” You asked, flinching every time they touched an open wound with their healing salves, “Although, I have taken him down once.”  
“What do you mean, eveng?” Neytiri asked, sitting in front of you with wide eyes.  
“Back at the facility where, Jake brought me from there was a thanator, a _palulukan_ , with his leg stuck inside a deep hole.” You explained, “I helped set the _palulukan_ free and put right his dislocated shoulder, _sneyä tìsraw seyki ’etnaw_. (His hurt shoulder.) Jake told me that I wouldn’t last out in the open. So, I made a deal with him, a _ko_ with him, that he would leave me be if I could take him down. He was on the ground before he could blink twice.”  
“I knew you were, _Eywa’eveng_.” Mo’at said in gleeful laughter, “I felt it in my bones.”

The next few days consisted of learning to shoot an arrow properly as well as training the avatar to grow accustomed to its future permanent home. Your feet grew tougher and your limbs more nimble. It got easier to navigate your way through the forest. You had heard of how everything on Pandora was connected, not just on a physical level but on a spiritual level as well. Jake taught you everything there was to know about that connection. You slowly became a better shot over the course of those few days. You spoke the ritualistic words after a clean kill. You hated having to murder something for its meat but you knew it was beneficial to the people. Helena became the best gatherer within the clan. People followed her when in search for healthier food options. She’d also learned of different flora that helped with different ailments or created dangerous poisons. The two of you grew close the days you spent together. There was one night that got to cold so you huddled close in the shack to keep warm. It reminded you of the sleepovers you had as a child. However, there was one day that would stay with you for as long as you lived. You were out hunting with, Jake and three other hunters who had spotted a heard of sturmbeests. You were not the only ones who had your eye on the juvenile herd. A thanator came between the hunters and their kills. It was the hunters who became the hunted once the thanator caught your scent. They shot their arrows at the thanator but their weapons were defenseless against the giant creature. You and the others had no choice but to retreat.

You were the slowest runner in the pack. That made it easier for the thanator to grab hold of your neural queue in its strong jaws. It dragged you away from the others despite your cries in pain. The others had disappeared into the thick bush without you. You were left to fend for yourself. The thanator dropped you onto the ground and circled back to finish off its victim. It lunged at you with its mouth open. However, it never got that far. A bigger thanator had your attacker by the throat. It was the same one you’d once rescued. The two ferocious creatures fought an epic battle. The sounds of stampeding sturmbeests and yelping, growling, hissing thanators echoed in your sensitive ears. There was nothing but loud sounds and kicked up dust. All you could feel was the vibrations of it all against the ground. There was a final, gut wrenching cry before the dust began to settle. You hoped it was the thanator that had just saved your skin that gained the upper hand. You strained to see which one of the malicious thanators was the victor. You sighed a deep breath of relief when the bigger thanator of the two dragged the smaller one’s limp body beneath its legs. Its body was dropped at your feet in offering. You smiled at your savior with tears in your eyes as you stroked its wounded snout. You decided then that the thanator was your spirit animal. You took hold of its neural whip and connected it to your pained neural queue to create tsaheylu. When the thanator sprinted it was much faster than a horse. You were left clinging to the animal the whole way back to Hometree.


	8. A part of the People

Jake’s POV  
He never thought she would get any better than the wild direhorse yet she did. He heard the fight in the distance. That was when he did a count on the hunters he took with him. She was not among them. He cursed her slow pace and started to run back to their hunting grounds. He stopped in mid-chase when he heard the screams of his people behind him. His shoulders slumped and his head tilted to the heavens. He kept his spear tight within his grasp. He was left flabbergasted as his eyes met the sight of, (your name) on the back of a thanator. Not just any thanator either. It was the very same one she’d rescued a few weeks ago. It had the body of a smaller thanator in its jaws. The juvenile that had attacked them whilst they hunted for sturmbeests. The people were afraid of the one who rode on the back of palulukan. The thanator dropped the body of its opponent at his feet. She climbed off of its back with a wide grin on her face. That same grin she wore when her arrow hit the intended target. Although, the surviving thanator didn’t walk away unscathed. It had deep wounds of its own. The many scars on its body told of its age. She had made friends with an older, much bigger thanator. One that could assist them in hunting. He looked to her for permission to touch the tamed thanator. She nodded with a snicker. That snicker turned to a laugh when the thanator whipped its head in his direction and made him retract his hand. The creature had made it quite clear where its allegiance lay. Her bond with the thanator was much like his bond with Toruk.  
“Have you thought of a name for him yet?” He asked with a nervous stammer.  
“He told me what his name is.” She answered with a smile, “Txur’taronyu. Strong hunter. I think it’s fitting for him, don’t you?”

She was ready for the final step to becoming a hunter. She had tamed an untameable direhorse, made an alliance with a damn thanator with a name… all she needed to complete her list of dangerous animals was an Ikran. She was probably going to attract the biggest, baddest one of the bunch. It seemed her forte to gain the attention of the worst Pandora had to offer. At least the people were conflicted about what they thought about her. Some still called her Eywa’eveng whilst others called her Palulukan Makto. (Rider of dry mouth bringer of death.) He thought that there was a possibility that she could be both. After all, Eywa protected the balance of life. It was possible, (your name) was chosen as the guardian of her work. He wouldn’t have put it past the All Mother. He just wondered why she would give him, (your name) only for him to develop romantic feelings for her. He had someone he loved dearly. Someone he would throw himself in front of a charging ’angtsìk for. The one woman he fought for all those years ago. The very reason he made sure her world was tainted no longer by human influence. He had a deeper emotional connection with, Neytiri than he ever had with anyone. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to squash those emotions, they just got worse every time, (your name) smiled. Or got excited when she achieved something in her training. Hell, he even loved it when she challenged him or his authority. The inner conflict drove him insane. He made a note to ask the All Mother what her plans were when he had the chance. Maybe, (your name) was meant to be the next Olo’eyktan. He had to be sure. There was but one way to resolve all of the conflicts within himself.

He gathered the hunters in training both male and female. He woke, (your name) from her slumber in the shack that contained her human self. When she removed the curtain from her window it was the first time he had seen her as herself. Without the attributes of her avatar. She had a unique beauty to her face that explained the good looks of her avatar. Those (eye color) hues peered into him without the help of her cyan counterpart. He watched her shoulders slump in frustration. He pointed to the fridge that was almost empty of food. She understood what he meant and warmed up one of the baggies. The look on her face when she dug in made him chuckle. He remembered how horrible those things could be. He sat beside the shack in wait for his final hunter. Usually he would have banged against her metal confines to hurry her up. For some reason he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. So instead he watched her ready herself from the outside. He knew that was a bit stalker-ish but there was nothing else to do other than wait for her to link with the avatar. He was forced to look away as she changed her clothing. To see what he saw was definitely not intended! The curious male in him urged him to peek just once. It wasn’t like it was going to hurt anyone. She wouldn’t know either. The idea was so mischievous. He almost did as he was urged. However, the more logical side of his brain said otherwise. There were also other hunters that watched him. Those who noticed chuckled amongst themselves whilst others strained to see what the commotion was about. He looked through the window of the shack. She had climbed into the psionic link unit the second time his eyes were on her.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
You felt the eyes on you. You knew who they belonged to. The smirk that curled at your lips was automatic. You had lost a few pounds in the days you’d been training. Your human body was almost as in shape as your avatar body. Where was the harm in showing it off just a little bit? You knew how you felt about the Olo’eyktan. You knew the moment he left you to return to the safety of the facility on Pandora. You also knew that he had already chosen, Neytiri as his mate. That was fine since you actually liked the female Na’vi. She reminded you of yourself in some ways. You made peace with the fact you would have to choose another male. There were many other gorgeous men in the Omaticaya Clan. Hell, even two of the hunters in training with you were just as easy on the eye. Maybe you would choose a woman instead just to throw everyone off balance. There were endless possibilities. Still, those little butterflies that fluttered around in your stomach whenever he smiled would never go away. Maybe the infatuation would fade eventually. Oh, it was fun to watch him squirm nonetheless. What self-respecting female wouldn’t want to make, Jake Sully squirm? You met them in the pasture where they kept the direhorses once you were linked with the avatar. You loaned, Jake the stallion you had tamed whilst you rode on the back of, Txur’taronyu. The other direhorses were weary of the outsider as well they should have been. Txur’taronyu couldn’t have cared any less. If anything he was annoyed that the direhorses moved slower than him. You could feel the creature’s frustration grow. You pat him on the neck to remind him you were there. The predatory animal huffed beneath you but continued on without a fuss. Jake had led you to the Hallelujah Mountains.

As an Omaticaya rite of passage one had to bond with an Ikran. As if you hadn’t bonded with enough dangerous animals. The Hallelujah Mountains were hell to climb. You had to watch your footing against the giant floating mountains or plummet thousands of feet to the forest below. The path was narrow and slippery. Your feet slipped on loose stones on the side of the mountains. The worst part was that they moved. There were bridges formed from the huge roots of the trees that you used to cross over from floating mountain to floating mountain. You had to remind yourself not to look down. The air grew thinner as you hiked higher. One of the mountains you were climbing came to an end. You looked at your Olo’eyktan. He jumped from the edge of the mountain and onto a vine hanging from another. You sighed at the gesture before following after him. You gripped onto your vine like your life depended on it. Which, in all honesty, it did. You slinked up after, Jake. Your journey came to an end when you entered the cave that led to the home of the Ikran. You were both grateful and nervous at the same time. There were so many of them in one place. They looked like a giant flock of birds. There was an unexpected hand on your shoulder that startled you. Your anxiety was created by the enormous creatures in a swarm before you. Your job was to create a bond with one of them. Jake stood close enough to you that you felt his breath on your neck. The sensation gave your avatar body goose pimples. He ushered you out of the safety of the cave. He handed you a bola rope to use on your chosen Ikran. He then pushed you out into the open. You were the one chosen to go first. Karma truly was a hard bitch.

You walked with caution through the rookery. The markings on the Ikrans were beautiful. They all looked like they were once one color but someone decided to liven them up a little with different colors of paint splotched all over them. The tips of their front wings resembled the wings of a dragonfly. Some more than others. Every Ikran you approached looked at you indifferently. They would hiss at you in warning or fly away in fear. The deeper you got into the rookery the more they rejected you. You felt a wave of dread crash over you. What if none of them chose you to be their rider? You turned to retreat back to the cave in despair. Your bola hung limp by your side. Your ears drooped against your head in sadness. If you had looked up from your feet sooner you would have seen the Ikrans moving out the way. When you did look up you almost lost an arm. The core color of the Ikran that attacked you was vibrant indigo with orange, blue and teal splotched markings. It lunged at you again with its rows of razor sharp teeth causing you to jump back a second time. You made use of the bola to muzzle the moody animal. It panicked at the suddenness and made you chase after the damn thing. You grabbed hold of its neural whip before it leaped from the mountain. You were left clinging to a struggling Ikran in the open air. The more you pulled at it to try and climb up the more it tilted. Your hands were slipping fast. You lost most of your grip when it flew into the side of a mountain. You were crushed between Ikran and rough rock. However, it was to your advantage. You used the opportunity to pull yourself up onto its neck. The creature was still in a state of panic so you had to move fast. It was either that or die. You were not in the mood to die. You grabbed hold of your neural queue and attached it to the Ikran’s neural whip. The Ikran calmed down a notch after that. You managed to fly it back to the others at the rookery. You removed the muzzle from your new Ikran before flopping onto your throbbing back. You were not doing that again!

The rest of the afternoon was spent hunting a herd of sturmbeests for the ceremony. It was the celebration of you and the other hunters passing the rite of passage. You called your Ikran, Pxayopin which meant, ‘colorful.’ The name was fitting for the multi-colored creature. She was the only one with more than two colors in her markings. You were the proud rider of a massive direhorse, a thanator and an Ikran. All you needed was a pet viper wolf to complete your collection. The hunting party took down four sturmbeests for the night’s celebratory occasion. The children undid the braids in your hair and weaved the petals of flowers into it. They were excited about the random silver panel that they didn’t have. The respective patterns were painted on you in white. There were spirals to indicate the high spiritualism as well as sharp lines to represent the harshness of the hunter. You were given more decorative clothing to wear. After all the night was about you. The people welcomed you as one of their own. You were in the middle of an Omaticaya Clan web. You were allowed to wash off the paint after that. You broke away from the festivities to spend time with your animal friends. You were never one for social gatherings. You had located, Txur’taronyu gnawing on the bone of a sturmbeest. One of the other Na’vi must have fed it to him. He looked up from his bone for a moment before continuing his quest to complete the bone. The bioluminescent vegetation gave off the only light. Your ears flicked backward to the sound of the Olo’eyktan’s footsteps.  
“What are you doing out here?” He asked with a light chuckle, “Your party’s back there where people are celebrating your victory. Is there something wrong?”  
“No, I’ve just never been one for large social gatherings.” You admit, “I prefer the company of animals to people anyway.”  
“Even the company of men?” He teased, tilting his head to look you in the eye.  
“Especially the company of men.” You retorted, “Shouldn’t the clan leader be with his clan? I can get away with being absent but you… there’s no possible way.”  
“Have you chosen a mate yet?” He asked, his voice lowering into sadness.  
“Not yet.” You confessed, “I’ll have to see which of the men have chosen me first. Then I’ll work from there and see where it goes. There are a lot of fine men around.”  
“I know of one that has already chosen.” He crooned, moving his hands to your shoulders and pulling you into his chest, “One who could never be your mate.”  
“Well, that’s a shame.” You sighed into the nape of his neck.


	9. Through the Eye of Eywa.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sad. Very sad, only. (Said in, Neytiri's accent.)

It was time to transfer the consciousness from your human body into the body of your avatar. You had passed through the test of the people. To pass through the eye of, Eywa was next. You clung to the cup of tea in your human hands. You had sat at the dinette in the middle of the shack with a blank look on your face. You hadn’t slept at wink the night before. It was no lie that you were nervous. In fact those very nerves were on end. The only ones who could tell you what it was like was either asleep high in Hometree or a hundreds of miles away. Jake would tell you things you wanted to hear whereas, Norm would tell you the truth. You climbed into the psionic link unit to connect with the avatar. Once in the other body you slipped passed all the sleeping Na’vi. You had even managed to avoid the presence of, Mo’at. That woman never seemed to sleep. You climbed up Hometree to, Pxayopin. The Ikran was surprised to see her rider. You hopped onto her back with one destination in mind. Daylight seemed to chase behind you as you flew on. You looked over your shoulder at the bright orange light that lapped at the tree tops. It was a beautiful sight. One that would have kept you calm if you hadn’t known what was to come. The facility neared into view sooner than you expected. You let the large animal perch within a nearby tree as you sneaked into the facility. You knew, Jake was going to murder you for disappearing back to where you came from. It was worth it if you got the answers you needed from the first friend you’d made. Yet it was him who found you lurking around in the dark corners of the halls. He made you jump back from the fright he gave you. You scowled at the amused male.

“If you didn’t want me to find you then why are you sneaking around?” He asked, “Shouldn’t you be with the Omaticaya people? I heard from, Jake about your success with the warrior’s test. Well done with that by the way.”  
“Thanks.” You said under your breath, “I think you know why I’m here. Sure, I’ve passed Pandora’s test but what if I fail, Eywa. We all know a person doesn’t come back from the ritual. I don’t exactly feel like dying.”  
“I remember feeling that same way when it was me that had to pass through the eye of, Eywa.” Norm confessed with a laugh, “You know I wouldn’t lie to you. I don’t lie in general. The facility patched up my avatar after the battle with the RDA military dogs. The avatar had been gunned down but the sick bastards. It was my turn to become a Na’vi full time. It was absolutely petrifying. But, you know what? It’s not as scary as you think. In fact it’s peaceful and you feel the love of, Eywa surround you.”  
“See, this is why I came to you.” You said with a laugh, “You’re honest and don’t hold back your opinion. I guess it’s just my shot nerves that have the better of me.”  
“Good, now get your ass back to your Hometree!” He commanded, “Although, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to be there when they do the spiritual ceremony.”  
You helped, Norm sneak out of the facility the way you came. It was more difficult to pass other scientists that were awake. The two of you had to sprint across an open field to where your Ikran was perched. Your companion looked nervous when he hopped onto her back after you. He held his arms around your waist a little too tight. When you frowned at him over your shoulder he confessed that he hated flying.

Sneaking back to Hometree without being noticed was not as easy as sneaking into the facility. Anyone else could have found you but it was, Jake that spotted you and, Norm. The look on his face sent uncomfortable shivers down your spine. Not the good kind of uncomfortable either. Your ears drooped against your head in shame. Jake’s arms were crossed over his chest and his back was rigid. His ears were flattened as well but not because he was ashamed or afraid. His jaw was clenched like there was something he wasn’t saying. He didn’t need to say it. You had a feeling you knew what that was. To leave without his permission was one thing but to return with someone without his knowledge of it was another. Your tail swished as your head tilted towards your feet. Norm noticed the tension between the two of you. He was the first to speak to break the awkward silence. You were grateful for him.  
“Jake, _oel ngati kameie_. (I see you, hello.)” He greeted with a sheepish smile.  
“ _Oel ngati kameie_.” Jake responded more sternly, “Where have you been? Why didn’t you tell anyone where you were going? I was this close to pulling you out of that psionic link unit just to make sure you haven’t done anything stupid.”  
“Jake, don’t be mad at her.” Norm pleaded, “She just needed a little advice is all.”  
“Then why didn’t she come to me for advice?” He snapped at his old friend.  
“Because you’re a hard head.” Norm answered without missing a beat, “And your advice is admittedly terrible. It’s not like she did it just to, blatantly disobey you.”  
Jake’s chest deflated and his arms fell to his sides. The remark he’d received from, Norm changed his mood in less than a heartbeat. He must have known the younger male was right or it could have gotten a whole lot worse. Your Olo’eyktan dismissed you with a jerk of his head. You scurried in the direction of Mo’at’s living quarters.

You received a much better welcome in the arms of the elderly woman. Even, Neytiri treated you better than he did. They dismissed his cruel behaviour as something a man develops when he is made Olo’eyktan. The harsh personality comes with the title they said. They recommended you didn’t take it personally. You spent the rest of the day with, Mo’at instead of the other hunters. You avoided, Jake whenever possible. You were afraid you would take off at him for being unreasonable. To have ripped you from the psionic link unit wouldn’t have just hurt you it would have damaged the connection you had with the damn thing. You found, Helena with a basket of Pandoran herbs. She explained the name of each one and what their properties were. The herbs she had in her basket was all used to create a toxin strong enough to stop the heart of a sturmbeest or a hammerhead in under four minutes. She advised not to touch any of them with exposed hands. Helena had been given protective gloves made from thick leather to use. One had to be extra careful when handling those. You roamed Hometree with other Na’vi greeting you as you passed them. Later in the day you bumped into the person you tried to avoid.  
“(Your name), have you been to see, Mo’at and, Neytiri yet?” He asked.  
“Yes.” Was all you said through annoyed clenched teeth.  
“Think you’re ready for tonight then?” He asked in uncertainty.  
“Yes.” You repeated in the same annoyed tone.  
The poor Olo’eyktan didn’t know what else to say. You nodded your head in farewell before heading in your own direction. It was too soon to deal with his mood swings.

The day past sooner than you expected. Your human body was wrapped in vines to cover only what was intimate. The same was done with the avatar. The oxygen mask looked odd with your natural attire. When you stepped out onto Pandoran soil the air was hot and humid. It was, Jake who had stepped in front of the shack with his arms held out. He was dressed in extravagant clothing that consisted of two giant shoulder pads made from woven leather with painted teeth sticking out of the ends, a large belt with a precious stone in the middle around his waist and the loin cloth that hung to his feet was decorated by hundreds of strands of red beads. He wore intricate gauntlets made from black thanator leather. You climbed into his outstretched arms. He smiled as he lifted you eight feet off the ground. He cradled your human body like it would break if he dropped you. The whole clan was at the Tree of Souls with their neural queues connected to the ground. Their bioluminescent markings were beautiful against the lights of the tree. For some reason it seemed that there were more glowing roots than you remembered. At the center, Mo’at, Neytiri and Helena all waited for you. Norm had your avatar body in his arms. You were placed at the feet of the Tsahik. She told you to clear your mind of all thought. To just let the spirits of the ancestors take you to the All Mother. You did as you were told. You felt vine-like roots slither up your body as you lay there. You faded into sleep with the sound of the chanting Na’vi echoing around you.

You woke in darkness. It was not what you expected. Your heart began to race in your chest. You worried that you had not passed through the eye of, Eywa and there was nothing but darkness for eternity. You sprinted in all directions but it was all the same. You tripped over fallen trees covered in ash. The scenery changed once you hit the floor. Personally you preferred the darkness to the next scene. The land was barren. There were no trees or wildlife of any sort. There were flakes of ash falling from the sky. There was nothing but different shades of grey clouds as you looked up. The smoke that wafted into the air and filled your lungs made you cough. You covered your mouth with your arm as you continued to stumble through the ruin. Your eyes widened when you reached the edge of a cliff. There were craters in the earth with industrial machinery grinding away at the planet. It was the smoke from the mines that had you in a fit of coughs. Pandora was murdered by metal machines built to bleed her dry of her precious minerals. The sight of it all broke your heart. It brought you to your knees with ash drifting into the air around you. The scene changed again as a teardrop fell to the ground. You were now in front of four harsh-looking Na’vi. They looked ancient by their clothing and wrinkled skin. Their chilling looks sent shivers down your spine. You knew that they were there to judge you. However, the four of them stood aside and they joined by a fifth. She was the most breath-taking Na’vi woman you had ever seen. The crown on her head looked just as ancient as the clothing they wore. You knew who she was by her pale silver hair. “Now you have seen what I have chosen you to prevent.” She crooned, “Humans will come like a rain that never ends. I have chosen you to stop this murderous rain.”

Before you could ask her what she meant you were thrust backward into a blinding white light. Your eyes fluttered open. The vine-like roots slithered back into the ground from whence they came. There were hands that shook over your body. You lifted your head to look at, Mo’at who seemed pleased with herself. You looked at your own hands. They were the cyan paws of your avatar. You had passed through the eye of, Eywa and returned. You were helped to your feet whilst your human body was whisked away to be buried. However, you weren’t as excited as everyone else around you. It was, Norm who noticed this first. His brow furrowed and he approached you with caution.  
“What’s the matter?” He asked, loud enough for the others to hear.  
“The All Mother showed you something, didn’t she?” Mo’at asked, “What was it?”  
“Everything was dead. Everything.” You answered barely above a whisper, “The RDA are coming back… if they aren’t already. There were two ISV Venture Stars sent up into space when we left. I don’t know what was in the other one.”  
Helena had a bow in her hand. If you had seen that you would have prevented an arrow piercing first the heart of, Neytiri then the heart of, Mo’at. The two women looked shocked at first. Then they both had saddened expressions on their faces as they realized they were dying. You caught your mentor just before she hit the ground. Jake sent hunters after, Helena but she was gone before anyone could register what was happening. There were enraged Na’vi rushing all over the place looking for her. Mo’at took her last breath in your heartbroken arms. Both you and, Jake exchanged looks of anguish. There was a heart-wrenching cry that filled the air as, Neytiri took her last breath. That was not how you thought it would go. Not with the deaths of two major people in your life.


	10. In the Heat of Battle.

The whole clan was left in silence. Jake hadn’t said a word for hours. You knew better than to bug a grieving mate. You understood his pain. In the short time that you knew her you grew to love her. She’d become the mother viper wolf protecting her young cub from the claws of the Jakesully thanator. Whenever you wanted to escape training to be a hunter you would sneak into her living quarters where she would hide you from him with pleasure. You recalled the long talks that lasted for hours. She told you all that stories she was told since the time of the First Songs. She would teach you how to connect with, Eywa on a much higher level than all the others. You never needed to connect your neural queue to know she loved you like her daughter. Then there was, Neytiri. She would tell you all the embarrassing stories about, Jake when he’d pushed you too hard. The amount of blackmail material she offered you was enough to hold against him for the rest of his life. There was no limit to how much she made you laugh. The two of you got along like sisters even though she had no clue you both fell in love with the same man. You adored her so much that you declined her mate’s advances just because of your respect for her. There would be none of that ever again. No sneaking away to hide from your troubles in the company of an old wise woman and her snarky daughter. No laughing for hours about a man who knew how to push all the wrong buttons. No listening to old stories that captivated your interest all hours of the night. Especially no reconciling hugs that made you feel so safe in a world that had its mind set on killing you. When, Mo’at wrapped her arms around you it felt like the embrace of unconditional love from, Eywa. There was nothing left but heartbroken silence sitting in an empty room with all that reminded you of them. 

Your lowered ears twitched at the sound of hard footsteps padding in behind you. You didn’t care to look up and see who that was. With the smell of him you didn’t need to. You clutched the past Tsahik’s favourite beaded garment to your chest. The smell of her still clung to it. Jake reached for the item of clothing in your hands and tried to pry it from your tight fists. To let go of it would be to let go of her. You weren’t ready for that. It seemed ridiculous to get so worked up over someone you’d only known for a few days. Possibly a couple weeks at most. Yet it seemed you had imprinted on the old woman. You knew the death of her would destroy you. So it did.   
“Please, give it to me.” He croaked, his voice barely audible, “Holding on to something she wore isn’t going to bring her back. Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way. Now, please, give this to me. Hand it over… there we go.”  
You had clutched it so hard that the thousands of little beads left dents in your hands. He sat down beside you in the middle of, Mo’at’s living quarters with a sigh. None of you said a word to each other. You knew what had to happen. The death of the Omaticaya clan’s Tsahik meant the accession of the next chosen by the former. Neytiri was destined to be the next Tsahik but that would never happen. The people knew that, Mo’at and her daughter favored you. They were an intelligent race. They knew that it would have been you after, Neytiri regardless of how good a warrior you were. The sound of silence was broken by a heavy sigh shared between you both. 

“We cannot bring them back but we can sure as hell make, Helena and the rest of them pay for what they’ve done.” You said with all the spite in your heart, “So, the RDA is back like some kind of parasitic weed. This time we’re not going to just pluck them out and hope for the best. Eywa has shown me how that turns out. No, we’re gonna cut off the head of the fucking snake. We’re gonna make them come to us and we’re gonna slaughter every last one of them. Send their skulls back to Earth.”   
“I’m out for revenge as much as the next guy but we don’t even know where to look.” Jake argued, “How are we going to fight someone when they’re hidden from sight?”  
“Were you not listening?” You asked with a scowl, hitting him upside the head and making his ears flatten, “They won’t be that hard to find. They were here just as long as I’ve been. They’d still be building their next facility or their next mine. All we’d have to do it spot the difference in Pandora. It wouldn’t be that hard. Although they’d more than likely be somewhere on the world we haven’t been yet. To find them we’d have to contact the other Na’vi clans. Warn them to keep an eye out. The All Mother has shown me what to look for. I’ll know when I see it.”  
He followed what you were trying to say. What was a solemn silence turned to a vengeful atmosphere. He got to his feet with his hand held out in offering. The smirk on his face was contagious. You gladly took the offered hand and he pulled you to your feet. He dragged you to the outside behind him. There a band of Na’vi surrounded the living quarters of their old Tsahik. They understood that their intuitions were correct. You were their new Tsahik. A group of women took you back into the living quarters to get you geared up in your respective clothing. Meanwhile, Jake had his warriors fly to every corner of Pandora to inform the other clans. Toruk Makto and Palulukan Makto called to them once again. Hopefully for the last time. 

A few more days and there was news of large monsters killing the trees. You knew that they were clearing a space to build their monstrosities. However, if the company was to be successful in its ventures it had to get rid of all casualties. They had apparently wiped out three clans in the surrounding area. Men, women, children and all other creatures that would stand in their way. They weren’t going to play nice a second time. That was fine. You had no plans to place nice either. Those who knew the RDA said that their machines were much larger than before. That they had never seen such huge mechanic killers. That was what was in the second ISV Star. You wondered why it looked a lot different to the one you were driven to. It would have been foolish to send a full attack on the beasts that planned to murder your world. However, when they sent three troupes to scout designated land, Jake instructed the Na’vi to set a stampede of hammerheads on one, a stampede of sturmbeests on another and attack the last with their Ikrans. There was not one woman or man without an amp suit. It was to send the company a message. A message that said you knew where they were. That you were coming for them too. At Hometree you were joined by nineteen clans throughout Pandora. It left you with a total of five thousand Na’vi on your side. If they were going to get bigger and badder then, shit, so were you. Even the Na’vi from the other clans seemed fascinated by the pale silver panel in your hair. They learned your name was Eywa’eveng or Palulukan Makto. Every one of them respected you and Txur’taronyu. 

The message the Na’vi sent them was received. Although you may have won the battle you had not won the war. They must have been preparing for an attack. After three days there were large shadows that loomed from above. Men and women in upgraded amp suits rained down from above. Missiles exploded upon collision from all directions. Some of the people panicked whilst others fought back. You were left in the middle of it all. It was your job to see that the children and those who could not fight were safe from harm. You did not succeed with all of them. There were falling bodies all around you. Children that clung to your arms in fear. You led them to safety. Txur’taronyu and, with the help of, Pxayopin tore apart those who got too close. There terrified screams mixed in the sound of gunshots all around you. How they managed to work on those things you were unsure. You managed to get majority of your people to safety high within your Hometree. Neither, Jake nor, Norm were anywhere to be seen. You summoned your Ikran with the intent to travel to The Tree of Souls. You would not have made it fast enough in time on foot. Once the Ikran landed nearby you walked close to the trunk of the large tree. When in the air you saw the size of the Dragon Assault Ships in the distance. They expanded to twice the size of those on Earth. They could have housed hundreds of people all on their own. They had the intent to kill every last one of the Na’vi. You were scared that they would succeed with the amount of advantage that the enemy had. You saw what just one of the Dragon Assault Ships could do to a city. With ones that size there was no telling what they could do to the whole of Pandora. The one advantage you had was the Flux Vortex that messed around with their equipment. That was it. 

You connected your neural queue to three hanging strands as, Mo’at had taught you. You heard the voices of those who came long before you. You would have just sat there and listened if there wasn’t a purpose for you being there. You got to your knees with the neural queue still attached to the tree. It seemed the Tree of Souls responded to your racing heartbeat. You bowed your head in respect of the ancestors as well as the All Mother. You sucked in a deep breath before speaking.   
“I don’t know what to do.” You murmured, “The people are dying all around me. The humans have returned with bigger and better equipment. We have no real line of defense against them and they know it. I know what those assault ships can do. We’d be wiped out before we could even take a stand. I don’t understand what you want from me. How am I meant to stop the rain when I have no means to do so? I could do with some serious help here. Or, at least, a little advice would be nice.”   
There was no response of any kind so you reached out to remove your neural queue. An electrical surge flowed through you as your hand made contact. Something more powerful than you had ever felt. Like the electric current zapped at each cell in your body. It made your muscles fall into a throbbing spasm. Your veins bulged against your skin. You fell to the floor in a twitching foetal position with the currents ever flowing through your system. It got worse when it reached your head. Shoving your head into a blunt meat mincer would have hurt less than the pain you endured. Your screams would have been blood-curdling to the ears of passers-by. Your eyes felt as though they had fire ants stinging away at them by the thousands. The length of time this pain went on made you think that it would never end. Until it did. It left you gasping for air and clutching at your lungs. You managed to get to your shaken feet. There was one voice that whispered into your mind. A voice you would recognize anywhere. A voice that showed you what you could do. 

Pxayopin shied away from you as you approached. She must have felt the energy that emit from you. You placed calming hands on her before mounting the skittish Ikran. A mass amount of animals was not enough the second time around. They were prepared for that kind of attack. No, what they needed was something unexpected. Something that would give those who survived nightmares for the rest of their lives. You were that unexpected something. For, you see, you were given a gift from, Eywa. A gift she had never given any other living being on Pandora. You were her Guardian of Life on Pandora. There to ensure the balance was well protected. You stood on the back of, Pxayopin with a devious smirk on your face. You looked directly at the choppers and the Dragon Assault ships with fire in your eyes. You had their weapons locked on you. That made your smirk develop into a knowing grin. You raised your hands skyward. With them rose the roots from trees, rocks from the Hallelujah Mountains, or the very mountains themselves came to you. The energies of everything that you summoned flowed through you like thousands of individual currents. You were connected to the world around you on a physical level as well as spiritual. You then closed your hands into tight fists. Your surroundings did as they were bid. Roots and vines wrapped around choppers, hindering their effectiveness or pulling them apart totally. The large rocks smashed against the Dragon Assault Ships leaving them to defend themselves against the wrath of Pandora. You watched as metal was crushed or bent before you by the elements of Pandora. Those who were smart enough, or far enough away, retreated. By the time you were done there was nothing left of what they built. They could return but they would fight a losing battle when they were against the world itself.


	11. Catch me first.

You stepped off the back of, Pxayopin as soon as she touched the ground. You could feel the life of the world around you under your bare feet. The flowing energy of all that was interconnected with one another. The soft soil had never felt so welcoming before. There was still the sound of Na’vi battle cries and gunshots. The battle from below still continued on. However, the sounds of the opposing side ever so slowly subsided. It seemed as though nothing could ruin the good mood you were in. you had just handed the RDA’s ass to them single handed. Well, maybe not entirely single handed. The gift, Eywa had given you played a relatively large part. You closed your eyes and tilted your head skyward to listen to the sounds around you. Your hands reached out to touch the leaves that bent at your will. Your ears flicked westward to the whizzing sound of an arrow flying toward you. It hit the branch beside your head. Your eyes opened to see, Helena with another arrow drawn. You moved to dodge the second arrow. You kept moving to avoid each arrow until she ran out. She then charged at you with her blade drawn. She was a much faster runner than you by far. You knew she would catch up to you soon and wouldn’t hesitate to drive that dagger through your heart. So, you used your new gift to your advantage. You lifted the root of a tree to trip her. She fell forward with a surprised gasp. The dagger thankfully flew out of her hand. Pxayopin was anxious but you shushed her before she could do anything to your fake friend. You had done so much for that woman. Given so much of your time to her. No one forced you to. You did it because you’re a good person. She betrayed you for it in return.

“What are you doing?” You asked as she got to her feet, “Why are you doing this?”  
“Well, looks like all of your hair is pale.” She snapped back at you, “Is there some kind of Pandoran dye in there? Did they turn you into their deity after I killed their beloved Tsahik? And the one after her. That’s just a little desperate of them.”  
“Answer the question dammit!” You commanded through clenched teeth.   
“This was the idea the whole time. My job was to infiltrate this whole let-them-back business and get in good with the bunch of you.” She explained, her eyes gleaming with malice, “I was supposed to become one of you. Gain your trust and whatever. I was supposed to get noticed by, Jake Sully. Reel him in with my girlish charm and then shoot him in the face. You got in the way of my mission so I had to teach you a lesson for that. You were never my friend but, I guess I should thank you anyway.”   
“Thank me for what?” You asked with a hiss.   
“If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have even been noticed by the great, Jake Sully!” She answered with a manic laugh, “You helped me get close to him. You helped what you thought was a meek little nobody gain the respect and trust of the Omaticaya Clan. Not close enough though. It’s almost a shame you have to die now. The RDA could seriously use someone like you. Someone with your knowledge would be of great value to the company.”   
“That’s great and all.” You said, a devious smirk curling at your lips, “If I wasn’t the only one you betrayed.”  
She gave you a quizzical look. By the time she looked behind her, Txur’taronyu already had her in his jaws. Who knew where he came from but you were glad he was there. The sounds of her gurgled screams and the crunching of her avatar’s bones both satisfied you and made you cringe at the same time. It wasn’t the actual, Helena but you knew the pain would have gone back through the link. She’d be traumatized after that experience. Just as well she should be. No one messed with you. 

Txur’taronyu hadn’t even finished off the avatar. He spat out what he hadn’t already swallowed. There was not much left of the avatar’s body. It sent a shiver down your spine. The thanator nudged you with his blood covered snout in concern.   
“Well then, no wonder they call you the dry mouth bringer of death.” You murmured.  
You sent the Ikran off into the dusk sky whilst mounting the back of, Txur’taronyu. The sounds of gunshots faded into the far off distance. The sound of victorious battle cries filled the empty space it left. You sprinted the thanator in the direction of the Tree of souls. You wished to thank the All Mother for what she had done for you. People watched as you rode by on the back of a palulukan. Those who had not seen you mounted on him were shocked or fearful whilst others were left in awe. It might also have been the hair that left them silent. After all, Eywa was said to have pale hair. You continued the ride with a wide grin on your face. It felt good to be noticed as someone important. You came from a world where just a few knew your name. Where no one really cared about your existence. In your new world you were the guardian to the protector of the balance of life. They were sure to sing songs about you in other Na’vi clans after that. Txur’taronyu would not go any farther than a couple yards from the sacred place. You understood the uneasiness of the creature. You allowed him to run off and do his own thing. The walk back to Hometree would be a little more pleasant than usual. You walked to the trunk of the tree. You could hear the whispers of the ancestors without connecting your neural queue. The whispers were matched by the faded laughter of children. You got down onto your haunches with your head bowed. 

“I don’t think there was ever a time you looked more beautiful.” Jake said, a smug smirk on his face as you looked up at him, “Your hair has changed. The people are saying that, Eywa herself as come to Pandora. Those who don’t know you, though.”  
“I don’t blame them after what some might have seen.” You confessed, “She gave me a powerful gift. One the RDA, if they’re smart, won’t want to mess with again.”   
He knelt down beside you. He was covered in blood. Whether it was his own or not you didn’t know. He picked up his neural queue from behind and attached it to the tree. The look on his face tugged at your heart. You knew what he was listening for.   
“I miss them.” He muttered under his breath, “I miss her. Her smile. Her laugh. The way her eyes glowed when she was happy. The way she growled when she wasn’t.”  
You placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. You weren’t sure of what else to do. You could not confess the guilt you felt knowing it was your fault they were dead. That she was dead. You didn’t have it in you to bring it up. There was a lump in your throat that choked you as you tried. His head turned in your direction. It was then you noticed just how close he was. He had his tail wrapped around your legs. His eyes were locked on your lips. His warm breath tickled your face. You couldn’t help but shy away as he drew closer. There was an amused huff before his fingers were on your chin and he pulled you into a kiss. At first it was questioning as if he was asking for your permission. Then it became more feverous, hungrier. He wrapped his arms around your waist to pull you onto his lap. A low groan escaped his throat as your tongue explored his mouth. He pulled you flush against him, his lips trailing hard kisses to the nape of your neck. You could feel his growing arousal beneath you. The only things that separated him from what he wanted were thin leather cloths. That and how you had gotten to your feet with an evil cackle.   
“You’ll have to catch me first.” You cooed, planting a playful kiss on his forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think. Should I continue this or scrap it?


End file.
